Twisted and Changed
by SophiaCrutchfeild
Summary: This is a series of one-shots based (loosely) on the reverse pines AU. Not a lot of it follows the rules of the AU, so consider yourself warned.
1. Dipper Gleeful's Journal

Author's Note- I'll be updating this when I feel like it. Expect gore. Don't be scared… we were born prepared… if you know what I mean.

(Okay, was that a creepy enough intro? Yeah, you can expect a reverse me in this too, so… don't get too annoyed. Please?)

October 23, 2014

I never wanted to be evil.

Things just… don't always go as planned.

I never meant for this to happen.

The problem with making deals is that you can get cheated very easily. Like, the deal I made to save my sister's life. It's not fun, paying for the rest of your life.

I wouldn't go back, though. She's all the family I have left, aside from a great-uncle who I hardly know. She's my twin sister! _Her life, for my role. _It was a fair trade.

So now I'm evil. I guess. I have it better than the old villain did, however. I'm still older, and I guess I'm handsome. Girls seem to think so, at least. I have my sister. That's what really matters. As long as I have her, I'm okay.

October 24, 2014

It has begun.

I 'fell for' Pacifica today. She's pretty, I guess, but not my type. Too much like my sister used to be. She's … bright. Also, in this universe, Wendy's into me. That would be awesome if I could act on it. Thing is, I can't.

So, anyway, my sister and I were doing the show, and I 'read her mind' to figure out her name… never mind that I already knew it… and it was written across her sweater. At least Gideon didn't look twice at my sister. My sister, of course, was smart enough to not even speak to that… imbecile. Thank god. I couldn't stomach that romance the first time, much less the second.

I went over to the Mystery Shack and asked Pacifica out to the movies. Hey, I might be stuck as a Gleeful, but that doesn't mean I have to follow everything the imbecile did exactly. The thing is, when I saw Pacifica with the bedazzled face, I felt sick. My sister was the only one childish enough to do that. Not anymore. She awkwardly agreed to what I thought was a pretty smooth asking-out. Much better than what the imbecile did. The trick was, picturing Wendy where Pacifica was. Easy! I can do this, and eventually, Bill will have to give me back my life. Right?

October 25, 2014

I miss the Shack. This house is creepy, what with all the clown paintings and other "fine decor." Ugh. In this universe, I can't even take orders from Grunkle Stan. He takes them from me. That was fun for ten minutes, and then got depressing.

I asked him if he wanted me to clean up the living room, and he got really scared. I tried to see if he was even remotely interested in conning tourists. Nada.

In other news: I took Pacifica out to the movie. I flirted. A lot. I can't wait for the imbecile to break up with me for her. Anything, anything to get out of this demeaning relationship with a girl who I don't want and doesn't want me.

I mentioned it to my sister. She just said that she didn't get why I asked out Pacifica in the first place. Maybe she has a point. We may have switched roles, but that doesn't mean we have to do what the last people in our place did. I'm breaking up with Pacifica tomorrow.

October 26, 2014

It was harder to do than I expected. I don't know, maybe it was the spell, but my instincts were screaming at me not to break up with her. And you know what? She was upset. In retrospect, maybe, "I don't like you, I never did, I don't want to be friends, later," was a little bit harsh. Well, I'm a villain now. At least I'm my own villain.

Bill won't let me out of the deal. I might as well make the best of it.

October 27, 2014

I asked out Wendy today. She said yes. Maybe being Dipper Gleeful won't be such a terrible thing after all.


	2. Bully

Author's Note- You people want one so bad, I can tell. (sighs) Well, whatever. Fear is only in our minds… remember that.

"You don't lie to me. Ever," Dipper Gleeful hissed at the kid. "You don't try to toy with me, or you're dead. One thing though, one thing really bugs me."

The young kid struggled as Dipper held him by the shirt. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he sobbed.

"This is for messing with my sister," Dipper said as he punched the kid in the face. The kid fell backwards into Wendy, who knocked his knees out from under him. As more and more kids circled around, the beatings got more and more intense.

"Hey! You leave Jeff alone!" Pacifica Pines shouted, pushing through the crowd.

"What's it to you?" Dipper asked. "What does it matter if the little gnome-boy gets hurt? Be glad it isn't your cousin. Or should I mess him up next?"

The kids all laughed. All but Pacifica, that is.

"What's it to me? He's less than half your size, and it's about twenty on one! I'm just doing the right thing!"

"The right thing is overrated," Dipper said softly. "Try the fun thing for once." And with that he kissed her. Right in front of his girlfriend.

"Um, hey?" Wendy stated her presence.

"What? I know you still make out with Robbie sometimes," Dipper pointed out. "The thing is, I'm sure enough of my superiority that it doesn't bother me. Are you?"

"Of course," Wendy said quickly. "Feel free to kiss losers if you want. I just don't see why you would."

"Fun," Dipper winked at Pacifica, who was still utterly astonished.

Mabel had heard the news by the time they got home.

"You kissed sweater-freak?" she asked. "Why?"

"To teach her a lesson," Dipper smirked. "Also, she's kind of hot if you disregard the complete lack of normalcy."

"Why in front of Wendy?" Mabel asked.

"Why not?" Dipper laughed. "Maybe I'll ask her out, and then let you and your friends loose on her. Make her hot. I dare you."

"Dare accepted," Mabel smirked. "It will take a miracle, but I'll do it."

"I bet you can," Dipper agreed. "I mean, you made Kandy and GG popular. You can do anything."

"Pretty much," Mabel nodded. "I'll need to do something about that hair, though. Ponytails are so out."

"And you need to fix those clothes. They hurt my eyes!" Dipper complained.

"Duh," Mabel sneered. "The weirdo is going to go from geektastical to chic-a-lushes."

"She better," Dipper spoke in a low voice. "Or you're in trouble."

"She will," Mabel said, just as quietly. "She will."

The next day, Dipper brought Pacifica over to the house the twins shared.

"I'm surprised you agreed to go out with me," he said, charming as ever. "I thought you had a bit of a… mistaken impression of me."

"Everyone deserves a chance," Pacifica said. "I try not to judge before I have the full story…"

"The kid yesterday was following my sister around, making rude comments about her," Dipper explained. "I'm her brother, and therefore it is my job to beat up anyone who messes with her."

"So where are we going?" Pacifica asked.

"Well, first, we're going to join my sister at the mall," Dipper said. "We need to get fixed up before our date."

"Wait, what?"

With a twist of his amulet, they were there.

"Ah, my brother, I see you have her. Well, are you coming?" Mabel spoke briskly.

"I never signed up for this," Pacifica said.

"I thought it would be a nice surprise," Dipper lied.

With that, Pacifica was dragged away by Mabel, Kandy, and GG. They forced her into a violet crop top and miniskirt, twisted her hair into chic waves that fell to her waist, and gave her violet eye shadow and gold hoop earrings.

"Look in the mirror," said Mabel.

Pacifica looked… and saw someone who could pass for a wealthy queen bee. "I look…"

"Much better," Mabel finished. "Even hot."

Of course, Mabel really _was_ a wealthy queen bee, so maybe next to her, Pacifica looked a little bit less… but still.

"Hey, tell you what? Keep the look, and we'll make this a usual thing, kay?" Mabel offered.

"Kay," Pacifica agreed.

Little did she know that she had taken the first step towards becoming what she despised: a bully.


	3. Happy Halloween

Author's Note- Halloween, a night of mischief and excitement… unless o course, you're fleeing in terror from the Gleeful Twins. Oh, what a tangled web we weave…

Dipper straightened his tuxedo as he looked into a darkened mirror.

"How do I look?" he asked his sister.

"Most dashing, as a vampire ought to," Mabel grinned. "And I?"

"As lovely as any princess," Dipper nodded. Mabel brushed an imaginary speck of dust off of her long green gown.

"Queen, brother, Queen," she corrected.

"My mistake," Dipper agreed. Laughing, they slipped out into the cool, quiet night.

They landed in the main square, where Mabel was instantly met by Kandy, GG, and her newest addition, Pacifica, all dressed as princesses in blue gowns. Dipper was met by Wendy (she was dressed as a succubus), and several other girls, as well as his friends and admirers from school. As Dipper kissed Wendy softly, Pacifica looked on jealously.

It was then that a quiet boy with a talent for music approached Mabel.

"Hey, are you Mabel Pines?" he asked.

"Ew, no!" Mabel shrieked. "The name's Mabel Gleeful. _Glee-ful. _Got it?"

"Sorry, sorry!" the boy said, not noticing the shocked look crossing Dipper's face. "I don't know why I said that. Slip of the tongue, I'm really sorry…"

"Robbie V," Dipper said quietly. "Wow. Of all the people in this godforsaken town, it just had to be you, didn't it?"

"I don't know what you mean," Robbie said, sounding alarmed. "It had to be me for what?"

"We should talk," Dipper said, grabbing Robbie's arm and pulling him into an alley.

"Wait, what?"

In the alley, Dipper sighed and pulled out his amulet.

"See this?" he asked. Robbie nodded. "It's a mystic amulet. My sister has one, too. There used to be just one of them. Do you follow?"

"So you made another?" Robbie asked.

"Not quite. The first amulet belonged to a kid called Gideon. Do you know him?" Robbie nodded, now severely confused. Gideon? Mr. Pines' nephew? He didn't seem particularly mystical to Robbie. "Well, the thing is, there was a time when my sister and I were the Pines Twins. At that point in time, you and I were mortal enemies. See, Wendy was your girlfriend back then-"

"Dude, look, she's hot and all, but I'm not into your girlfriend," Robbie cut in. "Also, nothing you're saying makes any sense."

"I made a deal with the devil to save Mabel's life and things changed, along with everyone's memories. I'm a jerk now and Mabel's Queen Bee, and Gideon's just a tourist kid. He hasn't even found Journal Three! Also, now you're a pretty decent guy, and this is just too weird," Dipper said quickly.

"Um, look, I mean no disrespect, but you might want to lie down. I think you may have a fever," Robbie said politely. "Would you like me to call a doctor?"

"I don't have a fever!" Dipper said, not annoyed. "I'm perfectly sane, okay?"

"Right. Well, I'm going to go now… Happy Halloween!" Robbie said, hurrying off. _The guys are never going to believe this…_ he thought. _Dipper Gleeful's gone insane!_


	4. Fighting and Failing

Author's Note- I have returned! Yes, I still like this story. Deal with it!

Dipper sighed. He was watching Wendy gossiping and twirling her hair. He didn't really understand it at all. He had traded _his _role for Mabel's life, and yet, everyone else had changed, too. He sometimes wished that he could have been the only one to make the switch. Sure, he would have lost everyone, but… had he not, anyway? They had become warped, twisted into their own polar opposites. Hi sister, once so kind, silly, and carefree, was now cruel, serious, and viciously smart. Wendy, who had been loyal, honest, and relaxed… well, not so much anymore.

Dipper glanced at his wrists, covered by the cuffs of his suit. If he fought back, decided to be nice to everyone and keep his head stuck in a book all day, would the others change back, too?

The next day, he brought Journal 2 to school. He poured over the pages with excitement, and found all sorts of new mysteries.

"Mabel! Mabel, want to go to the forest this afternoon and look for a secret hidden cave behind the waterfall, rumored to be home to a Siren clan?" he asked at lunch.

"The waterfall? And get my hair wet? Uh, no, why would I?" she sneered.

"I think it'll be fun! You know, like an adventure?" Dipper asked cautiously. "Anyway, it says here that Sirens are closely related to mermaids… and mermen."

With Mable Pines, that would have worked. Mabel Gleeful, however, just looked at Dipper like he was nuts.

"Okay, I'll ask Wendy," Dipper muttered. However, he got a response from Wendy similar to that of Mabel.

"Um, no thanks babe, I like, _just _did my hair. I'm not getting it wet!"

Finally, he asked Soos, who just looked him over.

"Right. Why on Earth would I want to go into the middle of nowhere on some fool's mission when I have a perfectly fine library right here in town?"

"C'mon, man, please? It'll be awesome!" Dipper cajoled. Soos' decision was final.

Dipper groaned, and went to see Stan, in a last-ditch effort for a semi-normal response, only in Stan's case, that would be: NO.

"You're home early," Stan commented.

"Yeah, I… oh, great," Dipper exclaimed sarcastically. "Dipper _Gleeful_ cut the last three periods of the day!"

"I see," Stan said. "That's wonderful, and talking about yourself in the third person is not and never has been a sign of insanity."

"I know I'm crazy, Grunkle Stan," Dipper said. Stan raised one eyebrow.

"Grunkle?" he asked.

"Yeah. Short for great-uncle," Dipper explained. "Actually, you came up with it. It sucks that you don't remember that."

"I see," Stan said.

"Hey, so anyway, I've been filling my head with nonsense about monsters in the woods, do you want to help me execute a dangerous mission that could easily get me killed in search of a clan of imaginary creatures?" Dipper asked.

There was a pause. "Alright, Dipper. When do you want to go?"

"No! No, no, no! You _never _let me do dumb stuff like that! Why is everyone so _wrong_? You're supposed to boss me around and insult me, Mable's supposed to be obsessed with mermen and glitter, not her _hair,_ and I'm supposed to be the quiet, antisocial bookworm who is universally picked on! This is all messed up!" Dipper raged.

"… Dipper, you might want to lie down for a while."

Dipper screamed, and stomped out of his house toward the waterfall. "I'll find them myself," he muttered.

When Dipper got home from the forest, he was grinning in a way he hadn't grinned since before the switch.

"Mabel! I found the Sirens, and they are incredible!" Dipper cried, his voice cracking.

"Really?" Mable asked. "Great. Hey, why were you yelling at Great Uncle Stan earlier?"

"He was being… not the way… well, I mean, you…" and then Dipper burst into tears, and tried to explain why he was upset to Mable. "I made a deal… it wasn't… he lied… not part… your hair… you hated me… I hate this… this isn't… It's not fair!"

"Wait, what?" Mabel looked incredibly bewildered, both at what he had said (she hadn't understood a word) and the fact that her stone-cold brother was crying in front of her.

"I… I'm a good guy. I want to be a good guy, at least. I used to be. I don't want to live in this world, Mabel. I want to go home, so, so bad! I lost everything, and I feel like I even lost you, and that's why I made the deal, see, so I wouldn't lose you. I miss seeing you laugh, and do things that make me so annoyed I could scream, and when you drag me into your latest schemes and away from my serious stuff," Dipper tried to explain.

"I'm still not following," Mabel said, shaking her head.

"That's what he said you would say. I have to fight my instincts, because they aren't mine. I want to be myself again… but Pine Trees and Pentagrams got mixed up and now I'm not me anymore than you are you," Dipper said. "You probably think I had too much sun or something, because I sound pretty crazy right now, but on Halloween, Robbie Valentino called you Mabel Pines, and that's your real name."

"You're wrong. I don't think you've had too much sun. I think you are 100% stark-raving drunk," Mabel said, fingering her headband. "The best thing for you is probably to sleep it off."

Then the world went black.


	5. The Insanity Closet

Author's Note- Dude, it's okay, chill! I've got a new chapter, ok? Hope it doesn't suck, I got your review and wanted to get something up ASAP.

She was in the closet again.

Every now and then, it would happen. It was painful, and scary, and confusing. She would get a flash of an image- a hallucination or something- and for a few seconds, she would feel more at peace than she ever felt normally. Then it would change, and become painful, and she would cling to the hallucination with every instinct screaming at her not to let go, and it hurt worse than a knife when she would snap back to reality.

Dark places held the hallucinations for longer. That's why she was in the closet. She laughed carelessly in the hallucination, the way she never did in real life. She was on the roof with Dipper, only _this _Dipper was funny, and shy, and honest… and kind. Most of all, this Dipper was kind.

"Are you okay?" Hallucination-Dipper asked her.

"I don't know," she whispered.

"Hey, don't be sad," Hallucination-Dipper comforted her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Tell me what's wrong, and maybe I can help."

"You can't," she sobbed brokenly. "You… you're not _really _like this. It feels better here, but it isn't real."

The hallucination evaporated around her, leaving her sobbing alone in the dark.

Then, the door opened.

There stood Dipper, in his cold, cruel, dangerous glory, glaring down at her. "What are you doing in my closet? Why are you crying?"

"I- I- Dipper, I'm-" she tried to come up with some explanation, but couldn't think through the agony.

"Hey," his voice was a lot softer. "Are you okay?"

This was too much. "Please don't pretend to care," she pleaded. "It only makes it hurt so much more."

He looked taken aback, and kneeled down next to me. "Who's pretending? Is that why you're crying? You think I don't care about you?"

"I think I'm-" she stopped herself. _This is _Dipper Gleeful, _for God's sake, _She reminded herself. _He's basically evil. So what if he's acting oddly kind? He's probably faking. _

"You can trust me, you know," he said. "I don't bite."

She looked at the ground. _Yes you do._

"Trust me," he said quietly. "Just this one time, I'll give you a guarantee, you can trust me. I want to help."

"Promise?" she asked.

"I swear," he said. She took a deep breath and tried to get ahold of herself.

"I hallucinate sometimes," she said quietly. "I fall into another world, where everything is switched. I _like _that world. I like being the other me. It hurts to come back to reality."

Dipper looked stunned. "I… I can't believe it. You really…"

"I'm crazy, I know that, but please, Dipper, please don't tell anyone!" she begged. "I don't want to be taken away."

He shook his head. "No, I won't tell… I just… I can't believe that all this time… you remember the truth."

She looked alarmed. "The truth?"

"Your hallucinations are memories," he said quietly. "Repressed memories. Bill must've missed a spot…"

"What are you saying?"

He looked her square in the eye. "I'm saying that you're not crazy. You and I are the only sane people in this town."


	6. Doll Face

Author's Note: I know, I know, this chapter isn't up to my usual standard, and I'm sorry about that. I hope you don't hate me _too_ much…

I felt it in my collarbone, shoulders, chest. It wasn't so much pressure as a searing absence… and it hurt worse than any pressure could. It was like I had stopped breathing, or like my blood had stopped flowing.

Well, it was a feeling at least.

"Hey, are you feeling okay, Mabel?" a boy… Roger? Ronnie?... asked.

I quickly composed my features into a "doll face." Content smile, bright eyes, all dimples, freckles, and sweetness. "Of course, why would I not be?"

"You know that the smile doesn't fool anyone," he said. "Well, ok, it fools a lot of people, but not me."

I feel the absence begin to grow. I fight to keep up my doll face. "I really have no clue what you mean," I giggle. "Could you please reiterate?"

He gives me a knowing look. "You look upset," he said. "I saw what happened, and I want to be certain that you're okay, but you don't appear to be."

"Look, you seem like a really nice guy." _It's clawing at me, ripping me apart. _"But I don't know you." _I can't let anyone know, because I have to be cold. I can _never_ lose control. _"Also, I would really appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone what you just saw." _If word got back to Dipper, I would be in for a world of pain._ I struggled o keep smiling.

"I won't say a word," he said. "It isn't my business, and I don't enjoy gossip. I just want you to know that you can talk to me, if you want. I'm not going to tell your brother."

I wanted to talk about it. I wanted to start crying, and let it out… should I?

I looked at him, and blanked my expression. I let the icy indifference replace the absence.

"Go away," I said calmly, fingering my headband, "or you will be very sorry."

He shook his head and walked away. I don't care. He had bet not tell what he saw. No one can know about what happened, and more importantly, no one can know of what I did.

I let a tear fall in front of Robbie Valentino.


	7. Photographs

Author's Note: Sad chapter. You've been warned. Props to anyone who knows where the poem comes from!

I sit on my bed, looking through some old photographs. I can't show these to anyone- all they would see would be blank bits of old photo paper. I can see the images though.

There are a few we took that day on the lake, after the Gobblewonker incident. I laugh, seeing the chaos of a few. Stan threading that hook…

There's one of me, and Wendy, chilling on the roof. I think Mabel took that one (not that she would remember).

Then I see a picture of all of us.

Soos is flashing the peace sign, and smiling. Stan has on leg on a rock, is holding his magic-8-ball walking stick, and has his _I'm-about-to-con-you-out-of-your-own-pants _grin. Wendy is sitting on a rock, looking completely relaxed, and Mabel…

She has that Shooting Star sweater on, her old favorite. Her hair is messy, and in natural curls. She's beaming, and her smile is full of braces. She loved those braces, and thought they were the coolest thing in the world…

I don't realize that I'm crying until a teardrop hits the page. I panic, not wanting it to be ruined, and wipe it away. The picture looks weird, now. Where I'm supposed to be is a dark smudge, and I put away the rest of the pictures, noticing a few of the ones that bring back those hard-hitting memories…

I take the picture of all of us, though, and frame it. I prop it up on my nightstand. I can't forget… I'll never forget…

Later, Mabel comes into the room.

"Hey, Dipper, are you okay?" she asks. I turn toward her and she recoils in shock.

"Leave," I say. "Let the old dreams die for a moment, and go away from me."

She looks at me, and for a minute, I think she's going to refuse. Stupid of me. No one refuses Dipper Gleeful.

She turns, and goes away.

I take out the picture, and flip it over. Huh. I forgot I had written that. I guess I have had the same thoughts before.

_Let the right one in._

_Let the wrong ones go._

_Let the old dreams die._

_They cannot do what you want them to._

I sigh, and shake my head. It's too true, isn't it? They cannot, can never again, do what I wish they would.

I pull a match out of my pocket, and light it with a twist of my amulet.

_Let the old dreams die._

I light the picture aflame, and watch as one by one, they are all burned away.

_They cannot do what you want them to._

_Let the old dreams die._


	8. Talking to Yourself in an Empty Room

Author's Note: I'm baaaaaackk! Ready for more darkness? Here you are…

I want to forget.

_I can never forget._

I want to be this person.

_Who, the evil villain? I want to be myself!_

I **am** myself! This is me now!

_What, Dipper Gleeful? Ha! You're a Pines, and if you forget that, then you have destroyed your soul!_

Since when do I believe in a soul?

_You believe in ghosts. How is a soul that different? _

I don't believe in souls.

_Fine, don't call it a soul, but the fact remains the same- you can't forget who you are!_

I know who I am now.

_No you don't._

Really? I tried to be Dipper Pines, and Mabel put me into an enchanted sleep after proclaiming me "stark-raving drunk."

_Try again. You have to keep trying._

No, I really don't.

_You're just going to give up?!_

No.

_Then what are you going to do?_

Accept what has happened, and stop trying to change things I can't control.

_That's called "giving up."_

Oh shut up.

_You realize that you're talking to yourself, right?_

I'm not talking to myself.

_Really? Then who are you talking to?_

It's called "thinking."

_Um, no, pretty sure thinking isn't always out loud. _

It isn't like I never talked to myself out loud in an empty room before.

_No, it's not._

Can you please go away?

_Nope!_

Wow. I'm really, really annoying.

_Yep._

Shut it.

_Not gonna-_

I SAID SHUT IT!

…

Hello?

Is anyone there?

(No one is left to fight you. You reign supreme. Now, will you continue to fight a losing battle… or will you give up, and let the darkness win without a fight?)

I can't.

I can't keep fighting.

I-

_Can._


	9. Sombra's Door

Author's Note: Well, here you are! Hope you like it. Darkness warranty assured!

_I see me behind the door; don't know what it is for._

I am twelve. I smile into my dressing-room mirror as I apply my "childish" makeup. Sweet little kids aren't supposed to grow up.

_Think my dreams have gone away; don't know just what to say._

I giggle and bat my eyelashes. I look about nine. Perfect.

_I have tried as best I can, and I don't understand._

They will never guess, will they? Actually, I'm not sure _I _can see the lies half the time. I'm not sure I get why we do this anymore, though.

_Your voice told me I should go, and that is all I know._

My brother tells me what to do, and I comply. Simple. No explanation needed.

_My worst nightmare right in front of my eyes._

I am thirteen, and my brother has gotten angry again. I know that my power holds no candle to his, so I hide in my closet. I stare into the mirror, and see the faint green glow that shows me that he is coming for me.

_Who knew that it was all a disguise?_

I suddenly feel a click in my mind, and I suddenly see double as he opens the door. One side of the mirror shows my brother, cold, calculating, and out for blood. The other side shows my brother, but in a baseball cap and casual clothing, and smiling with slight amusement- but the nice kind.

"Found you, Mabel," they say at the same time, and grab my arm. One side helps me up. The other twists my arm until I cry.

_Somebody tell me this is a dream._

I stare through the mirror as the other Dipper pulls another Mabel out of the closet, and she laughs. Am I dreaming? I can't be- Dipper's beating hurts.

_A door to a world I never have seen!_

Dipper sees me looking at the mirror, and it shatters instantly. The other Dipper and Mabel are gone.

_Losing faith with every stair I climb, I'm unaware._

I am fourteen, and I've been seeing double lately. The other me and the other Dipper laugh, play, and do things that mirror what my bother and I do, but in a twisted, kinder way. I think I must be insane.

_I can't help thinking that was real, and not just how I feel._

It all seems so real, and so much more right than what's been happening. While my Brother and I preform, the Others play. While Dipper yells at me for messing up "again," the Other Dipper teases the Other Mabel about her latest crush. It's like our world, but not.

_I tried so hard and got so far but in the end it doesn't matter._

I have become addicted to mirrors. Everyone thinks I'm just completely narcissistic, but in reality, I want another glimpse of the happy, glittery girl who's brother would rather take a beating himself than do what my brother does to me. I can see them, but I can't reach them.

_But it's too late for me to stay; I better save the day._

Dipper knocks the mirror out of my hand and hits me. "We don't have time for your narcissism, Mabel, we have a show to put on! Get your makeup ready _now_ and get on stage!"

_King Sombra, you will shatter._

He glares at me, and for the first time in years, I glare right back. "I'll be there before the curtain rises," I snap. He raises one eyebrow and smiles.

"Alright then."

_My worst nightmare right in front of my eyes._

I am fifteen. Broken mirrors surround me. My hands are drenched in blood. Dipper read my mind, and discovered my obsession, and he took it away. I pull a shard of broken glass close, and it adds a new cut to my hands.

_Who knew that it was all a disguise?_

I turn to see Dipper, looking so amused at my torment. This is the dark kind of amusement. He sees the tears and the blood and the glass, and the mirror from the closet.

The closet.

_Somebody tell me this is a dream; a door to a world I never have seen._

The doorway to the closet is shimmering, and I gasp. There they are. I run through the door…

_My worst nightmare right in front of my eyes._

I am sixteen. I tried to get to the other world last year, but my brother closed it just before I could get to it, before beating me up. He said that if I tried that again…

_Who knew that it was all a disguise?_

I have been piecing the mirror back together in secret. I place the last shard into its place. My hands are covered in scars from the job, but I'm desperate. I look through, and am so happy I cry.

_Somebody tell me this is a dream._

Other Mabel is smiling at me, fixing her hair. It's long, curly hair, not short and black like mine has become as of late. I touch the surface of the mirror and cry with happiness… and despair.

_A door to a world I never have seen!_

I sit down on the floor of the closet, I the same position I was in at age thirteen, when I first saw the other world. A door to a world I will never truly be a part of.

_My worst nightmare right in front of my eyes._

I am seventeen, and I have been playing a child for far too long. Do these people never notice how we never seem to age- on stage, anyway- and look so messed-up? I have to starve myself to look like a child. I am a young woman. The Other Mabel is curvy and beautiful. She's preparing for Art School, from what I can see. I'm preparing for working the show full-time.

_Who knew that it was all a disguise?_

I don't need this life. The mirrors have been a curse, more than a blessing. I could survive if I knew that this was how it was supposed to be, but it _wasn't._ It was supposed to be so much better, but something went wrong, and I can't take this life anymore. I shatter the mirror, and select a particularly sharp piece of glass.

_Somebody tell me this is a dream; a door to a world I never have seen!_


	10. I Smile as I Run

Author's Note: I always keep my promises. You know who you are. Here's the thing. It might not make much sense, though. Try to decipher the codes.

I smile as I run.

He's going to catch me, and that will be very bad for me. It will be worse for him though!

|\| |_- " \/ |_-" |\* /\(, /\ | |\|

I smile as I run.

Things will steadily get worse for him as he spiral into oblivion. He'll miss me! He won't be able to believe the truth!

| /\ |\/| |_-" \/ | |_

I smile as I run.

Poor guy. He is in love with me. I see it in his eyes. He won't like to hurt me. It will hurt him so much more than it will hurt me. It's hilarious how I was able to play the part so beautifully. Sweet girl, shyly smiles, slowly falling, suddenly stops.

| -|- |- | ( | |_-" |) |-| | |\/|

I smile as I run.

To be honest, I thought about not doing this. He's cute. I actually might have fallen for the guy… if things had been different.

-|- |-| |_-" | \/\/ |_-" |\* |_-" |\| () -|-

I smile as I run.

It's true; we're all a little insane. I chose one side of that insanity gap. He chose the other. We can all play at the other side, but the gap is wide- too wide to jump.

| /\ |\/| | |\| C) /\ |\| |_-"

I smile as I run.

Things are too weird, too different, and now, it's time to pay the piper. He catches up to me and holds me down.

He sees my smile.

He sees my insanity.

I can see something in his eyes too.

I giggle, and kiss him. He kisses me back, for a second.

I really do have him wrapped around my little finger don't I?

\/\/ |_-" |_ |_ |) () |\| |_-"

I smile as I run.

"Hey, handsome," I say. "For what it's worth, I wish it didn't have to end like this. I liked our little time together."

"You lied to me."

"Yes."

"I loved you."

"You still do."

| -|- | C) -|- |\* (/ |_-"

I smile as I run.

"I'm sorry," I say. I mean it, too.

"You can still come with me," he says. He's begging me to stay, with his eyes. I want to.

| ( /\ |\| -|-

I smile as I run.

"Sorry."

He shakes his head.

"Do I have to?"

"Yeah, you do."

| ( |\* |

I smile as I run.


End file.
